Lace-guard.



No. 689,042. Patented Dec. l7, [90L M. DUTEL.

LACEv GUARD;

(Application filed June 14, 19m.)

(In lodel'.)

INVENTOH m: anna s Pzrzns co, PuoYo-Lmlo. WASHINGTON, 01c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARGUERITE DUTEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LACE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,042, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed June 14, 1901.

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, lVIARGUERITE DUTEL, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, borough of Manhattan, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lace-Guards for Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to provide animproved lace-guard for low or ladies shoes by which the undoing of the lacing-knot is prevented and the annoying retying of the lace obviated; and the invention consists of the combination, with a shoe and its lace, of a laceguard consisting of a narrow guard-strap having a longitudinally-extending bulged middle portion, said guard-strap being attached at one end to one side of the laced portion of the shoe, so that its bulged middle portion, together with the guard'strap, extends transversely across the said laced portion, and means for detachably connecting the other end of the guard-strap with the opposite side of the laced portion, so that the bulged middle portion extends completely over and in closes both the knot and the ends of the lace and prevents the accidental undoing of the knot, as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a shoe with my improved lace-guard in position for retaining the laces.- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shoe before the lace-guard is applied to i the laces. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 1, drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 4: is a detail top view of the lace-guard shown as detached from the shoe; and Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I eferring to the drawings, A represents a ladys or other shoe, B the laces applied to the shoe, and O is a guard-strap that is preferably arranged at the upper part of the laced portion, so as to cover the knot formed in tying the laces after the shoe is on the foot. The guard-strap O is attached at one end at one side of the laced portion of the shoe and provided with a middle bulged portion 0, that is produced, preferably, by slitting the main portion and inserting the bulgedportion in Serial No. 64AM. (No model.)

in a wet condition, and thereby producing the bulged portion 0 in the strap. After the laces are tied the bulged portion of the guard-strap is placed over the knot and attached at the opposite side of the laced portion by means of a button b and buttonhole b or by a hook and eye or by a fastener, such as used for gloves, or other suitable fastening device, provided that the guard can be readily placed over the tied strings and readily detached when it is desired to untie the laces.

My improved lace-guard for shoes has the advantage, first, that the laces after being once tied are firmly held in position without being liable to become undone, which requires retying of the same and which is of annoyance; secondly, that the tied knot is covered up and out of sight, preventing thereby the flying about of the ends of the laces, and, third, that the guard can be applied with little additional expense to the shoe.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A lace-guard for shoes, consisting of a strap of flexible material composed of an elongated bulged portion projecting out of the plane of the same, flexible fiat portions at each side of said bulge, a fiat end portion at one end of the bulge, and a buttonhole located in said end portion for securing the strap to the shoe, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a shoe, and laces in the same, of a strap of flexible material se cured at one end to the shoe and composed of a bulged portion arranged longitudinally of the strap and projecting out of the plane of the same, flexible flat portions at each side of said bulge, a flat end portion, a button located on the shoe in line with said bulge, and a but= tonhole in the end portion adapted to cotiperate with said button of the shoe, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARGUERITE DUTEL.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, GEORGE GEIBEL. 

